jason c. 14 Report post Posted July 3, 2005 i have a ar 4gpm 3000 psi pump that is giving me problems. i have searched for the past couple days on numerous threads to no avail. when i start the pw i will get good pressure for a few secs then it seems as if the pump shuts off for 5-10 secs. this goes on for 5-6 mins or so almost everytime i crank it up. is this pulseing? i would think pulseing would be a quicker on and off pattern.anyways, after this initial 5-6 mins it stops doing it and works fine. thanks in advance for any expertise. jason Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Don Phelps 85 Report post Posted July 3, 2005 Sounds like it's either starving for water until the flow is sufficient or it's getting air in the line. What is your water source and is the pump a direct-drive? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hydroservices 14 Report post Posted July 3, 2005 I had a similar problem with a Karcher unit that I fixed for a friend of mine. The problem was almost the same in that the pump would run fine for 30 seconds and then have a total loss of power. After about two minutes of holding the trigger down it would come back to life. I then tore the entire pump assembly down. After some time I found that the purge valve was sticking due to a lack of lubricant from the factory. This valve is inside the thermal relief tower on most pumps and can easily be removed after taking the pump off of the engine mount. Although this worked fine for a Karcher pump, it may not work for a triplex or similar. Hope this helps… Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jason c. 14 Report post Posted July 3, 2005 thanks for the fast response guys...definately not starved for water. i tested one spigot that i have been using for my house, its filling a 5gallon bucket in 1m. the other side, yesterday was my first time using it an geezus...didnt measure but its got to be twice the pressure compared to the other side. i used my higher flow side yesterday and the same problem. its weird. there have been a couple ocassions out of say 10 that it fired right up w/o problems. it seems if i just hook the hose to it and fire it up it will have a higher sucess rate than if i hook up hose and and prime it w/ motor off till air is all out of hose.(quits sputtering) i will prolly be getting to know my local pw mechanic on this one...anyone know their rates approx.? the water source is my home spiggot dan...could air be getting in from my connection at the spiggoot? and is it possible the conn. from my hose to my pw is sucking air? just wanted to add again that it always eventually works fine and once it gets going it doesnt spudder at all...unless i turn the unit off. like i said b4 thanks for all the help. jason Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
One Tough Pressure 580 Report post Posted July 3, 2005 Do you have a filter before the pump and if so, is it clean? If equipped is the filter gasket in good condition? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jason c. 14 Report post Posted July 3, 2005 yes...on the water inlet i have a new mesh filter Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
One Tough Pressure 580 Report post Posted July 3, 2005 Check that filter, make sure it is clean and seals well. Did it do this before installing that? Is it rated for the machine you have? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Russ Johnson 141 Report post Posted July 4, 2005 Do you purge the lines of air before starting the machine? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jason c. 14 Report post Posted July 4, 2005 yes...on the water inlet i have a new mesh filter. russ, yeah i have purged all water and it seems to happen more when i do this as opposed to hooking the water hose then just firing up. sorry took me so long to respond Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Russ Johnson 141 Report post Posted July 4, 2005 Does it have an easy start valve on it? I have seen these give trouble in the past. Next time you start it, have some pliers handy and squeeze the easy start valve line off while it's sputtering. If the pressure straightens out, there's your problem. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jason c. 14 Report post Posted July 4, 2005 noy sure what you mean by sputtering...when i pull the starter, it fires right up no problem...its just when i pull the trigger, the pressure goes in and out every few seconds then will eventually be fine. thanks everyone for responding, i will let ya'll know what the repair shop says. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jason c. 14 Report post Posted July 4, 2005 hey alan, didnt see your post...i assume it is the right one, i got it from my local pw store.i went out and refitted the filter and will be using it later this afternoon...let ya know if it helps Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jason c. 14 Report post Posted July 8, 2005 well, havent taken it to the shop yet. but tested a a couple things out last night. it seems when i get all air out of hose then i hook to washer it works fine. if i hook hose to washer then prime with my gun all the way through it wants to act up as mentioned before. ??? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
